Technically, Nintendo's Wii U will launch the "next generation" of video game consoles when it hits stores later this year. But as far as pure hardware power, the upcoming system might be better grouped with the current generation of high-definition consoles like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. At least that's what Darksiders 2 director Marvin Donald said in a video interview with Nordic site Game Reactor.

"We'll have a few new features for sure, but I think visually, for the most part, it'll be pretty much the same," Donald said of the Wii U version of Darksiders 2, which is being planned as a launch title for the system. "So far the hardware's been on par with what we have with the current generation, so, based on what I understand, the resolution, textures, polygon counts and all that stuff, we're not going to being doing anything to up-rez the game, but we'll take advantage of the controller for sure."

Donald's statement runs counter to that of Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia, who said when the Wii U was first unveiled at last year's E3 that he understood it "will have 50 percent more processing power compared to the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360." But it does match up with a rumored set of hardware specs for the system that leaked last December, which described a system that was "very similar" to the Xbox 360 from a hardware perspective.

Simply matching the graphical and processing power of systems that are over half-a-decade old would seem to be a risky move for Nintendo, given that improved performance over the status quo is usually the key selling point for any new console, trumping the lineup of launch software. The key exception to this rule, of course, has been Nintendo's own Wii, a severely underpowered system that rode its low price and unique motion-sensing controller to years of sales dominance. It looks like Nintendo is pursuing a similar strategy with the Wii U, counting on the appeal of its touch-screen-equipped mega-controller to sell the system rather than fancy graphical upgrades. Going with "current gen" hardware will also likely keep down Nintendo's production costs, and therefore the system's price, although a lot depends on just how much the gaming giant is paying to produce those tablet controllers.

There probably isn't much downside to this strategy in the near term. Both Microsoft and Sony have indicated they're in no great rush to release follow ups to their current systems, meaning the Wii U will be competing directly with the Xbox 360 and PS3 for at least a year, if not longer. This head start, if combined with a low price, could make the Wii U seem relatively more appealing coming out of the gate, and give Nintendo a chance to establish a foothold in the world of high-definition gaming.

But the low-powered hardware strategy starts to look a little riskier in the long run, after Sony and Microsoft will have released what are almost sure to be much more powerful systems on their own terms. Sure, Nintendo can brag about versions of Darksiders 2 and Assassin's Creed III coming to the Wii U this year, but things might be different in a few years, when developers start finding that the Wii U just can't manage decent ports of games designed for its more powerful console competition (not to mention high-end PCs, which will undoubtedly be making the next generation of consoles look downright outdated in the years to come). To see just how bad it could be, look at how many big-name publishers have simply refused to port some of their biggest multiplatform games to the Wii in recent years, simply because the outdated hardware couldn't do them justice.

Then again, it's possible that the Wii U won't suffer as much as the Wii on this score. As we get closer and closer to true photorealism in games, we may be entering a period of diminishing returns for new hardware, where the graphical and gameplay leaps that can be achieved by a new system keep getting narrower and narrower. Sure, Epic's aspirational Samaritan demo looks a bit better than the best games on the market today, but does it really look so much better that it will compel consumers to shell out hundreds of dollars for a new console? The fact that Microsoft and Sony are holding off in releasing their own improved systems suggests the market might not be itching to pay for slightly improved graphics—at least not yet.

Nintendo is obviously taking a calculated risk here, after being driven to move first by a quickly cratering market for Wii hardware and software. If it can strike the perfect balance between novelty, low price and hardware that's "good enough" to have lasting appeal, the strategy might pay off. But it's definitely going to be a tough needle to thread.

Kyle Orland
Kyle is the Senior Gaming Editor at Ars Technica, specializing in video game hardware and software. He has journalism and computer science degrees from University of Maryland. He is based in the Washington, DC area. Emailkyle.orland@arstechnica.com//Twitter@KyleOrl